A First Nation Perspective

Aunty Karan visits the ELC

Lyn Pewtress – Director of the Early Learning Centre

The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework encourages us to embed cultural competence within our curriculum. An important part of this is recognising and responding to the cultures and perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We are delighted to welcome back Karan Kent, our Indigenous educator, who visits the ELC throughout the year to share her culture, knowledge and experiences with the children.

During her visit this week, Aunty Karan engaged the children with storytelling, meaningful conversations and a collection of fascinating Aboriginal artefacts. These experiences spark curiosity and encourage the children to ask questions and hypothesise. A key theme woven through Aunty Karan’s visits is the importance of caring for Country, helping the children develop an early understanding of respect for the land and the world around them.

We always look forward to Aunty Karan’s visits and the valuable learning experiences she shares with our community.Here are some of the children’s reflections from Aunty Karan’s visit.

Marine Group: “What did you learn from Aunty Karan or what did she show you?”

Rosie: “Kulin Nation” (we sang it to Aunty Karan).

Thomas: “Don’t throw rubbish on the ground. We need to look after our planet.”

Miles: “A boomerang – for getting apples which are sohigh.”

Albert: “About animals. The possum. A jacket.”

Amaya: “She showed me a rock. It looked like a rainbow. Care for country.”

Dominique: “She showed me a nest. It was a real bird’s nest. And the bird said “No we will not choose it because it’s an old nest.’”

Magnolia Group: “What did you enjoy from Aunty Karan’s visit?” 

Jade: “I liked passing the things around like the seeds, the crystal and the possum’s skin.”

Aavya: “I liked the part where we were singing about the land and the sky”.

Aaron: “I liked talking about the snakes, talking about wombats”.

Niamh: “I touched the rainbow rock. We also touched the rainbow shell. The rainbow was over the rock.”

Xavier: “I liked her telling the about the Rainbow serpent story.”

Over the year, the children will continue to respect and reflect on their understanding of Aboriginal people and their culture.